Renée Zellweger declares new Bridget Jones statue is “charming”, stating, “It’s cuter than me.”
Renée Zellweger has described the freshly installed statue of Bridget Jones as “endearing”, adding, “In my opinion, it’s far more charming than me.”
The actress was talking as the new statue celebrating the character she embodied for over two decades was uncovered in the iconic London square on Monday.
Bridget Jones was introduced in 1996 by author Helen Fielding, and initially brought for the cinema in the early 2000s. The newest movie came out earlier this year.
Commenting at the reveal, Fielding refused to rule out continuing the series, saying you should “never say never.”
Zellweger noted that everyone can see themselves in Bridget, which accounts for her huge appeal.
“It’s her sensitivity, her authenticity,” she said. “We identify in her, we connect in her challenges.
“It reassures us for the rest of us to be authentically who we are. Flawed.”
The figure of Bridget Jones resonated deeply with many women’s hearts, who felt understood in her trials and tribulations.
From her embarrassing work blunders, to her iconic granny pants, Bridget connected with a demographic who found a mirror in her—and has gained a new generation of younger fans too.
The new installment in the saga, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, was launched in February, and sees Bridget living as a widowed mom and facing today’s relationships.
It earned mixed reviews, but secured the strongest theatrical launch ever for a romantic comedy in the region, according to data.
The film was described as the last installment in the saga—but reflecting at the statue unveiling, two longtime enthusiasts, Faye and Wayne, said they were convinced there would be a next chapter.
“There are so many things that were left unresolved at the conclusion of the last film,” said Faye.
“Bridget keeps changing. I hope to be with Bridget Jones all the way to the later years,” added Wayne.
When asked about the chance of a future story in Bridget Jones’ saga, Fielding said: “Never say never. Inspiration arrive as a writer. So if a story came to me that I thought was real and engaging and new then I would develop it.”
Certain critics think the struggling and flawed heroine, who’s preoccupied by her appearance and relationship status, is not the best example.
And Fielding personally has previously admitted that elements of the story seem less relevant today.
“Bridget Jones’s Diary would be impossible to produce in the present day, written in this era, because all those male coworkers would be fired,” she said last year. “It was a really different time.”
But reflecting on the unveiling day, she said she aspired the wider message of the book would continue to chime for audiences.
“I think, to have the comfort of watching a figure that you can identify with, because they are real and flawed and vulnerable, it’s like having the confidante you can be honest with,” she said.
The monument is the first to honor a love story on the square’s Scenes in the Square exhibit.
The cinema sculpture exhibition originally launched in recently with the introduction of multiple figures showcasing Laurel and Hardy, Mary Poppins, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Don Lockwood, Paddington Bear, Mr Bean and Wonder Woman.
After that, statues of the boy wizard, the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, Clifford the Big Red Dog and the adventurer have been added.